With the group stage now completed, four sled hockey teams move on to the semifinals in Milan: The United States, Canada, Czechia, and China. 

Three of those four teams — the United States (gold), Canada (silver), and China (bronze) — made up the Paralympic podium four years ago. Czechia never has even competed for a medal in the sport.

Here's what to know about the sled hockey semifinals at the 2026 Milan Cortina Paralympics.

The United States entered Milan determined to claim an unprecedented fifth-straight Paralympic title — something no hockey team, Olympic or Paralympic, ever has done before. Three hockey programs have won four back-to-back titles at the Olympics: Canada's Olympic men's team (1920, 1924, 1928, 1932), the Soviet Union's Olympic men's team (1964, 1968, 1972, 1976), and Canada's Olympic women's team (2002, 2006, 2010, 2014). Only Norway has ever even competed in four-straight gold medal games on the Paralympic level, though the country won just once over that span.

The United States seems well on the way to that goal, snapping records up and down the stat sheet en route to a group stage sweep in Milan.

The Americans, a heavily-veteran squad known for its explosive offense, outscored opponents 34-2 and allowed just 12 total shots on goal across their three round-robin games (they took 125). The country found the back of the net a staggering 14 times in its opener against host Italy and gave up one, marking the largest margin of victory by the U.S. team on the Paralympic stage. The Americans found their smallest margin of victory in the tournament so far against China, where they won by six goals. China had blown out its previous two opponents 12-0 (Germany) and 11-1 (Italy).

Every U.S. player recorded at least one point in the team's first game against Italy. Three of the four teenage rookies scored at least once across the three games, with Brett Bolton (4) and Kayden Beasley (3) each tallying multiple goals apiece. Seven other players have registered six or more points. Leading the charge, far and away, is Declan Farmer.

With a hat trick in every game, Farmer has collected 18 points so far in Milan — eight more than Jack Wallace and Brody Roybal, who are second on the team behind Farmer with 10. Already the all-time U.S. leader in points, goals, and assists, as well as the U.S. leader in single-season goals and points, the 28-year-old also now tops the world in Paralympic goals (32) and points (58). With his 11 goals this week, he tied the record for most tallies at a single Paralympics — a number he shares with Bridges (2006), fellow American Sylvester Flis (2002), and himself from the 2018 Games.

Czechia, however, refuses to be counted out. The country battled to two wins against Japan (3-2) and Slovakia (8-1). Though they eventually fell, 4-1, to Canada, the Czechs presented Canada with its toughest test of the 2026 Games yet. Before that game, neither Canadian goalie had given up a single goal between the country's first two contests. Czechia also put up three times more shots on goal (12) than Canada's two previous opponents combined (4).